If you would have told me that Kendrick Nunn would be a Rookie of the Year candidate, I would have had two reactions consecutively. I would have said WHO?! And then proceed to ask who your plug is cause you would have been smoking some good stuff. But no one ever had that conversation with me and not that anyone would. Kendrick Nunn literally came out of nowhere.
He was undrafted in 2018 coming out Oakland University in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Before that, he played on the University of Illinois basketball team for 3 seasons. After going undrafted, he signed with the Golden State Warriors G-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. He spent the 2019 season there, before eventually getting signed by the Miami Heat. Kendrick Nunn player well in the Summer League and then in the preseason. All of a sudden, he’s starting on opening night for the Heat. He’s been a household name since then.
Kendrick Nunn Stats
Don’t believe me? Let’s look at his stats. He’s averaging 16.1 PPG on 45% shooting, 3.6 APG, and 2.8 RPG in 31 minutes per game. For a player that no one really ever heard of, that’s insane. Eric Paschall still has a little bit of an edge for Rookie of the Year over Nunn on numbers because of the lack of talent on the Warriors. Nunn is posting those numbers on a very talented squad, that’s what is so impressive. Probably a player that wasn’t seen as part of the Heat’s long term plans is now a big part of it.
Kendrick Nunn has stepped onto the scene in style. He made everyone sure that they made a mistake in not drafting him last year and that he deserves to be in the league. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and that the court is his to play on. This may be the first time you’ve ever heard of Kendrick Nunn, but I promise you it won’t be the last.
